En primeur (wine futures) is the sale of wines before they are bottled and shipped.
Historically, this was done to finance the new barrels and any investment needed by the Chateaux. Nowadays it's seen as an effective way to ensure your allocation and the provenance of your wine. In some incidences, buying en primeur offers better value.
Frank Searson brought the concept of en primeur to Ireland. Today, we carry on that tradition selling wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhone Valley and Piedmont en primeur.
Where in the past wine lovers would buy en primeur to take advantage of lower pricing, today it’s more about securing allocations of sought after wines. The purchase of fine wines both for cellaring and investment is in inflationary mode at the moment. A growing customer base, thanks to the emergence of new markets means demand is outstripping supply. Vintage variation is no longer cyclical, extreme weather events, such as prolonged warm periods in February bringing forward ripening, late frosts, hail and increasing periods of drought mean that production, especially in Burgundy is very low. Demand is increasing, supply is going in the opposite direction.
Our offers work on an annual calendar. In January we release the Barolo ‘anteprima’ offer, quickly followed by the Burgundy offer in the early spring.
If declared, vintage ports come available in May.
May till July sees the extended release cycle of Bordeaux en primeur.
How En primeur works
1. Placing an order
Contact the team as Searsons either in person, by phone or by emailing shop@searsons.com. We can answer any questions that you may have and offer advise on which wines to buy.
2. Order Confirmation
It usually takes a few days to confirm orders and reserve wine. After which, we will raise an invoice for the COST OF THE WINE ONLY. This is to be paid immediately in order to secure the order. Vat and Duty are only due after the wine is shipped and the order is dispatched from our warehouse.
3. Order Dispatch
When we receive the wine into our warehouse, we send out an invoice for DUTY AND VAT. This must be paid before the order is dispatched. Current rates of Duty are €38.24 / dozen standard bottles and VAT is at 23%.
Shipping typically takes place:
Barolo – approximately 6-9 months after placing the order
Burgundy – approximately 6-9 months after placing the order
Bordeaux – approximately 2 years after placing the order.
CHATEAU PHELAN SEGUR PRE-ARRIVAL OFFER IS NOW CLOSED
Secure great deals on packs of back vintage Phelan Segur and Frank Phelan wines. This is a pre-arrival offer, wines will ship November 2024.
BORDEAUX 2023 VINTAGE EN PRIMEUR OFFER IS NOW CLOSED
Our 2023 offer is out now, with a notable reduction in pricing on many of the top Chateau wines.
Growing conditions were a challenge. Spring conditions were near perfect, but then came a hot, humid early summer which threatened the spread of mildew. Late summer was warm, which made the decision on when to harvest, very difficult. An awful lot of work was done in the vineyard to ensure ripe, healthy fruit come harvest time.
The vintage is superb. Wines, particularly those on the left bank, show polished, perfumed fruits, combining freshness and purity.
BURGUNDY 2022 VINTAGE PRE-ARRIVAL OFFER - NOW CLOSED
"Tasting notes are filled with words like perfume, mineral, exotic, expression... This vintage is another atypical vintage
crusading through difficult weather patterns to emerge unscathed at the other side." - Harriet Tindal MW
Contact shop@searsons.com or call us in Monkstown on 012800405 for all queries or to place an order.
NOW CLOSED. BAROLO PRE-ARRIVAL OFFER FEATURING THE 2020 VINTAGE
Barolo 2020 is one of expression. Florals and savoury lift populate tasting notes. A warm vintage has allowed generosity to emerge but with sustaining acidity. This ripeness elevates aromatics allowing the wines to be approachable even now. A perfect vintage for restaurants. Alcohols are steady and not elevated despite the warm days. 2020 is a vintage of modern times. - Harriet Tindal MW
THIS OFFER HAS NOW CLOSED................. Laurent Tardieu pre-arrival offer
We have been fortunate to secure very limited stocks of the outstanding 2021 & 2022 vintages from Maison Tardieu-Laurent.
Family owned Maison Tardieu-Laurent's winemaking operation in the Rhone is more akin to what you will find in Burgundy. Tiny, micro-managed vineyard plots and small batch production results in very special limited release wines.
As with all of our en primeur offers there is a significant saving buying ahead of the the arrival of these wines.
Icons of the Rhône Valley Offer - IS NOW CLOSED
Fine wine is increasingly speculative. Buying ‘en primeur’ or ‘pre-arrival’ is important to secure your stocks.
This offer features three of the top Northern Rhone producers: Stéphane Ogier, Stéphane Montez and Maison Tardieu-Laurent.
Read more about these wines in our offer.
As with all of our en primeur offers there is a significant saving buying ahead of the the arrival of these wines.
BORDEAUX 2022 CAMPAIGN IS NOW CLOSED
"Heralded as ‘exceptional’ by many, 2022 is an individual vintage standing apart from the others due to the extremes encountered during the growing season."- Harriet Tindal MW
"This was a year of ....Waiting. Patience. Worry. Wonder." - Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion
“2022 is an ‘exceptional’ vintage in that it’s ‘atypical’. But the careful tannin management, extraction of fruit and importantly expression of terroir has resulted in some excellent wines that will drink in the short, medium and long term. There is something here for everyone.” – Harriet Tindal MW
Burgundy En Primeur featuring the 2021 vintage - OFFER NOW CLOSED
2021 was a year to be forgotten by the vignerons of Europe. Harsh frosts in April decimated crops. Exceptionally cool and unsettled weather around flowering, further exaggerated the promise of a small vintage.
But autumn brought a change in fortunes, extended warm sunny days has given the wines of 2021 a fragrant resilience. Framing a terrific terroir expression across the board. - Harriet Tindal MW
An unique insight intoEn Primeur
Episode #1
Edouard Moueix talks to Harriet about this Cru Classe and the elegance it gives thanks to the limestone soils.